FEUD FEARS | UVF rapist Gerry 'Vermin' Verner flees gun crash in park as perv’s pals given beating

Verner had turned up for a ‘fair dig’ with infamous UVF-hating thug ‘Hammy’ who the terror group have shot an incredible FIFTEEN times

   Convicted rapist Gerry 'Vermin' Verner         outside his east Belfast apartment 

           Friday 9th September, 2022. 

Cops fear a feud involving East Belfast UVF could explode after heavily armed factions clashed in a public park last week.

Sources who witnessed the daylight stand-off near a kids’ play park say several guns were pulled before an arranged fist-fight got underway.

And we can reveal tensions have been simmering for almost a year and involves convicted rapist Gerry ‘Vermin’ Verner and UVF-hating thug James ‘Hammy’ Hamilton.

We can reveal notorious rapist Verner scarpered and left his mates to a beating after challenging UVF scourge ‘Hammy’ last Sunday, according to sources.

The evil rapist had turned up for a ‘fair dig’ with infamous UVF-hating thug ‘Hammy’ who the terror group have shot an incredible FIFTEEN times in a three botched murder bids in the last decade.

But sex beast Verner – who assaulted multiple women, threatening to chop the fingers off one – did a runner, with an eyewitness claiming he ran faster than Usain Bolt!

            James 'Hammy' Hamilton 

“Vermin Verner did one faster than Usain Bolt when he realised he was going to get battered,” said an eyewitness at the shocking incident in Tommy Patton Millennium Park on the Holywood Road.

“Hammy had the backing of loyalists from all over the country and many of them had come armed. When Verner saw the guns he sh*t himself and ran off.

“The guns were put away and the fight started with three men trying and failing to get the better of Hammy.

“But the cowardly rapist left his mates behind and they took a bad beating for him. Hammy Hamilton tore into them and when he was smacking one of them on the ground you could hear him shouting at him, ‘What are you doing here protecting a sick rapist who has f***ed off and left you for dead?’”

      WAR OF WORDS: A message from                    James 'Hammy' Hamilton 

A social media feud has been ongoing for months. As reported here in March, Gerald Verner had his car destroyed in an arson attack outside his Inverary Avenue flat.

We can reveal that attack was part of the ongoing feud between him and Hammy and disgruntled loyalists, some from the UDA, with people in Sydenham still furious East Belfast UVF have allowed someone with his record for raping women to live in their midst.

It’s not the first time the UDA have been gunning for Verner – after serving seven years of a ten-year sentence behind bars for rape, Vermin Verner was released in 2018 but told not to return to north Belfast by the UDA.

      A reply from Gerry 'Vermin' Verner 

We can also reveal Hammy, who has a lengthy criminal record including for violence and drug dealing, confronted leading east Belfast loyalist David ‘Dee’ McConnell in a separate incident last week.

        ON THE LEFT: UVF boss Stephen            'Mackers' Matthews at a recent UVF                                   march 

McConnell is a close mate of Verner’s – they were once pictured arm-in-arm alongside Stephen Matthews – and Hammy is understood to have gripped McConnell by the throat and threatened him as an almost year-long feud threatened to get out of control.

But it was the explosion of violence last Sunday in a popular children’s park that has police extremely concerned about the potential for more violence.

On Monday the PSNI launched an appeal after one of Verner’s pals required hospital treatment having suffered head injuries which were caused by him being hit with a firearm, according to police.

Now security sources fear a simmering feud between Hamilton and Verner could see East Belfast UVF and the UDA go head to head.

          Convicted rapist Gerry Verner 

We can reveal Hamilton battered pals of Verner’s after Verner turned on his heels last Sunday night.

One of his mates was beaten over the head with a gun – brought to the arranged fight by members of the gang who were there to make sure Hammy wasn’t assassinated by East Belfast UVF.

Last night a source who witnessed the shocking daylight violence told the Sunday World: “Someone is going to be killed, it’s turned very nasty.

“Hammy and Verner have been going at each other on social media for months threatening each other with Hammy doing it from his own Instagram account and Verner hiding behind a fake account.

“Hammy grew up in the estate beside the park though he lives in Holywood now. He hates the fact East Belfast UVF have been protecting a rapist like Verner.”

Verner – known as ‘Vermin’ because of his sick sex attacks on women – was put out of north Belfast by the UDA because of his crimes.

    Verner’s car was burned out in March 

But while in prison he struck up a relationship with a leading loyalist who helped set him up in a flat beside his own in Inverary Avenue in the Sydenham area of the city.

The UVF guaranteed Verner’s protection when he got out of prison earlier this year – having been returned to serve out his sex sentence because he’d breached regulations by mixing with drug dealers when he was released for the first time.

Verner was jailed for a minimum of seven years in 2012 for raping, falsely imprisoning, beating up and threatening to kill his 19-year-old victim.

Verner (33) subjected the teenager to a terrifying “10 minutes of honesty” interrogation during which he threatened to cut off a finger for every lie she told.

It was after this that the predator raped his victim, who was the fourth woman he had violently assaulted.

We can reveal a social media feud has been going on since before last Christmas.

Using a fake Instagram account, Verner and his East Belfast UVF goons issued a number of threats to Hamilton.

This was after Hammy contacted Gerry Verner and told his to stay away from someone close to him who Verner was giving a hard time to.

Through social media Hammy was warned: “Ye fu*in goat now u dnt wana squad cumin from Scotland Over 2 do u.”

And followed up with: “Yye fu*in goat try it wiv him 1 mre time” and “watcher bck goat”. They then threatened to send a full team of UVF to his door to do him in, warning him to “sleep wiv your eyes open”.

             James 'Hammy' Hamilton 

But Hammy invited Verner to come to his house to sort the issue out, telling them he’d leave the front door open – and even posted his home address to anyone who wanted to back Verner up.

Last week Verner went to the park with a gang but hadn’t reckoned on Hammy being backed up by another gang of tooled-up loyalists.

“Hammy offered him a fair dig and went to the park but nobody thought Verner would turn up. Hammy is a complete psychopath, a proper hardman who has never been beaten in a fight.

“Hammy knew if Verner did turn up he was likely to turn up with a squad and possibly with a weapon so he rallied his own troops – some from East Belfast UDA but also loyalists from other areas.

“They were waiting in the bushes just in case something kicked off and they were armed with guns and some had hammers. Sure enough the rapist brought a team and they started running at Hammy but when they saw Hammy had brought back-up and they were armed Verner turned and sprinted away.

“When the guns were put away Verner still refused to come back and left his mates to get a hiding.”

The Sunday World understands Hammy has since received a death threat.

But friends close to Hammy told us: “Hammy is well protected by a number of criminal gangs and the East Belfast UVF have been told if they touch a hair on his head there would be serious repercussions.

“Hammy knows a lot of very dangerous people – the kind of people who you don’t want to cross.”

On Monday Detective Sergeant Dougherty said: “Police received a report of an assault shortly after 8.45pm, Sunday 28th August.

“Officers located a male, aged in his 40s, with a number of head injuries. He was taken to hospital for treatment to his injuries.

“It was reported that a number of perpetrators hit him over the head with an object. We believe at this time the object was a firearm.”

The UVF have tried repeatedly to murder James Hammy Hamilton who have always blamed him for the attempted murder of Stephen Matthews at his home in 2012. Matthews denies any link to criminality,

The UVF even blew up part of his dad’s house in east Belfast with a blast bomb while Hammy was living there using powergel explosive which the UVF were supposed to have decommissioned.

With many thanks to the: Sunday World and Stephen Moore EXCLUSIVE for the original publication. 

Follow these links to find out more on this story: Man 'hit on the head with firearm' during attack in East Belfast park

BRYSON'S COHORT AND PARTNER IN CRIME TOLD 'HIT THE ROAD DEE'!

Rapist's car torched as UVF moves on Dee's (pal) cohort.

UVF Boss and Bryson's Cohort Dee McConnell exiled to Scotland

FEUD FEARS | UVF rapist Gerry 'Vermin' Verner flees gun crash in park as perv’s pals given beating

What do you think Linfield FC will do about Jordan Stewart? Same as Larne FC did with John Herron? No, me neither!

Them'UN's - Them and Us - Glorifying loyalist terrorism 

Son of leading UVF Chief has all charges against him dismissed in paramilitary show-of-strength at Pitt Park.

ALL charges against one of the men involved in the Pitt Park UVF show-of-strength in east Belfast has had all charges against him dismissed. 

    The UVF show-of-strength happened           in east Belfast in February 2021.

The case against the UVF's chiefs son David Matthews, 36, was thrown out because of insufficient evidence connecting him to the gathering of nearly 40 masked UVF men at Pitt Park in February last year. 

He is now seeking to sue the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) for damages, a defence lawyer disclosed. 

READ MORE: Police appeal for information after two masked men fire shots into East Belfast house

     Pitt Park the scene of the UVF show-                            of-strength 

But his 59-year-old father UVF chief Stephen 'Mackers' Matthews and Derek Lammey, 57, must both stand trial at the Crown Court over their involvement in the UVF show-of-strength. 

All three men were charged with unlawful assembly, affray and intimidation following the high-profile incident. 

Prosecutors contended that the group of men were associated with the East Belfast UVF and went into the area with their faces covered by scarfs and hoods. 

Disputed claims were made that up to 11 people living in the area fled their homes and sheltered for days in a nearby community centre. 

Stephen 'Mackers' Matthews, of Pansy Street in Belfast, David Matthews, from Millreagh in Dundonald, and Derek Lammey, of Spring Place in Belfast, were alleged to have played leadership roles in the gathering. 

The case against them was based on CCTV footage, identifications made by police officers, and statements from civilian witnesses said to be too frightened to testify. 

The defendants denied involvement and are not accused of any paramilitary offences. 

During a preliminary inquiry at Belfast Magistrates' Court into the strength of the evidence, defence lawyers described the charges as an attempt to "grasp at smoke". 

They argued that even if their client's alleged participation could be established, no unlawful activity took place. 

Counsel for David Matthews insisted the only evidence came from a police officer who claimed to recognise his partially covered face but who also accepted the identification could be wrong. 

Ruling on the preliminary stage today, Judge Greg McCourt said the incident could be regarded as an organised crowd moving through an area, making gestures and "using language which would put any reasonable person in fear of injury or damage to property". 

He held: "I'm satisfied that Derek Lammey and Stephen 'Mackers' Matthews have a case to answer on all three charges. 

"However, the identification of David Matthews is qualified, and I am satisfied that it is insufficient to return him for trial on any of the charges. Consequently, he will be discharged." 

Prosecutors were also granted an application to have statements from the civilian witnesses admitted as hearsay evidence in the case. 

With Stephen 'Mackers' Matthews and Derek Lammey remaining on bail, they were told to attend court for arraignment on a date to be set in their ongoing criminal trial. 

Following the decision David Matthews' solicitor insisted the evidence against him had always been below the required standard. 

Darragh Mackin of Phoenix Law said: "From day one our client has maintained that this is a case of flawed identification. 

"We are now instructed to pursue the PPS for damages for the malicious nature of this prosecution." 

With many thanks to: UTV News NI for the original story.

Follow these links to find out more information on this story: DUP MLA defends UVF accused father and son charged with loyalist Pitt Park 'show of strength'

Councillors question East Belfast FC governance arrangements over Pitt Park accused Stephen 'Mackers' Matthews

Pitt Park: Charges dropped against David Matthews over 'UVF display'

All charges dismissed against man accused of taking part in Pitt Park show of strength

Councillors question East Belfast FC governance arrangements over Pitt Park accused Stephen 'Mackers' Matthews

Stephen Matthews is facing charges linked to a gathering of nearly 40 masked men at Pitt Park in February last year

     Pitt Park accused Stephen 'Mackers'           Matthews who was detained along           with his son 'David Matthews' who              were both arrested. during UVF                            show-of-strength 

                10th August, 2022. 

Councillors have deferred endorsing a funding arrangement with a Belfast football club following questions over the involvement of a man accused of leading a loyalist show of strength.

Stephen Matthews, a former coach at East Belfast FC, is facing charges linked to a gathering of nearly 40 masked men at Pitt Park in February last year.

     East Belfast UVF show-of- strength                             at Pitt Park 

Prosecutors have contended that a group of men associated with the East Belfast UVF went into the area with their faces covered by scarves and hoods.

Disputed claims were made that up to 11 people living in the area fled their homes and sheltered for days in a nearby community centre.

Mr Matthews and his two co-accused appeared at Belfast Magistrates' Court on charges of unlawful assembly, affray and intimidation in connection with the high-profile incident.

The defendants deny being involved and are not accused of any paramilitary offences.

Councillors question East Belfast FC governance arrangements over Pitt Park accused Stephen Matthews

Stephen Matthews is facing charges linked to a gathering of nearly 40 masked men at Pitt Park in February last year

Mr Matthews stepped down in May as head coach at East Belfast FC, which has a longstanding "partner agreement" with Belfast City Council providing up to £20,000 a year for sports development.

     PUP (progressive unionist party) are           the political wing of the UVF and also        sit in the LCC (loyalist communities            Council) which is made up of three              paramilitary terrorist groups the            UVF, UDA and Red Hand Commando. 

The council's People and Communities Committee on Tuesday evening was asked to note a report providing an update on the partner agreements with several sports clubs.

But SDLP councillor Séamas de Faoite asked for the report to be deferred.

He told the committee: "Without prejudice I would like to propose that this report is brought back pending further information to committee members in writing.

"I have expressed my concerns about governance arrangements to officers in relation to serious allegations made in the print media and criminal charges facing individuals who may still be on the board of East Belfast Football Club.

"It is incumbent on Belfast City Council's partner organisations to take action to protect their own reputations, but they must also ensure public funders that their governance arrangements are robust."

A council official told Mr de Faoite there had been an "investigation" into the constitution of the board of East Belfast FC, adding: "We are satisfied that there are no issues."

Mr de Faoite asked for information to be provided in writing to elected members.

Councillors agreed to the move after Sinn Fein councillor Matt Garrett asked for the request not to "hold up" any of the arrangements for other clubs contained within the report.

Last month Mr Matthews, 59, of Pansy Street in Belfast, and his co-accused launched a legal bid to have the case thrown out.

Defence lawyers claimed there is insufficient evidence to return the trio for trial, describing the charges as an attempt to “grasp at smoke”.

With many thanks to: Belfast Live and Brendan Hughes Politicial reporter for the original publication. 

Follow these links to find out more on this story: DUP MLA defends UVF accused father and son charged with loyalist Pitt Park 'show of strength'

EXCLUSIVE Top loyalist 'Mackers' fails in bid to gag Sunday Life over UVF leadership claims

Councillors question East Belfast FC governance arrangements over Pitt Park accused Stephen Matthews

DUP MLA defends UVF accused father and son charged with loyalist Pitt Park 'show of strength'

At a preliminary inquiry into the strength of the evidence, defence counsel described the charges as an attempt to “grasp at smoke”

   PITT PARK: UVF Ulster Volunteer Farce                      'show of strength'! 

                   22nd July, 2022.

Three men being prosecuted over an alleged loyalist show of strength in east Belfast have launched a legal bid to have the case thrown out.

Stephen Matthews, 59, his 36-year-old son David Matthews, and Derek Lammey, 57, face charges linked to a UVF 'show of strength' of nearly 40 masked loyalists at Pitt Park in February last year.

But defence lawyers claimed today there is insufficient evidence to return the trio for trial.

All three men appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on charges of unlawful assembly, affray and intimidation in connection with the high-profile incident.

Prosecutors have contended that a group of men associated with the East Belfast UVF went into the area with their faces covered by scarves and hoods.

Disputed claims were made that up to 11 people living in the area fled their homes and sheltered for days in a nearby community centre.

    UVF Chief: Pitt Park accused Stephen                             Matthews 

Stephen Matthews, of Pansy Street in Belfast, David Matthews, from Millreagh in Dundonald, and Derek Lammey, of Spring Place in Belfast, allegedly played leadership roles in the gathering.

The case against them is based on CCTV footage, identifications made by police officers, and statements from civilian witnesses who are unwilling to testify.

The defendants deny being involved and are not accused of any paramilitary offences.

.             East Belfast UVF mural 

At a preliminary inquiry into the strength of the evidence, defence counsel described the charges as an attempt to “grasp at smoke”.

Joseph O’Keefe, for Lammey, said: “There’s a group of people who walk into an area, walk around it and walk out again.”

“There’s gesturing at a building and that’s it.”

He also stressed the incident occurred at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It’s not unusual for people to be wearing those facemasks in compliance with the guidance at that time,” the barrister added.

Emma Little-Pengelly, representing Stephen Matthews, told the court that even if his alleged participation could be established, he did nothing unlawful.

“My client carried out no violence or threat of violence, no attack on anybody, no shouting or threats, no weapons,” she submitted.

“He is seen simply, it is alleged, walking in a gathering. My client disputes that it is him identified.”

Counsel for David Matthews insisted the only evidence came from a police officer who claimed to recognise his partially covered face but who also accepted the identification could be wrong.

“The only option is to decline to return him for trial,” Michael Chambers contended.

However, prosecution lawyer Robin Steer countered that it had been an unlawful event aimed at intimidation.

“One knows in this jurisdiction when you have 39 men gathered in that way, obscuring their identity, what that relates to,” he told the court.

“It strongly supports the assumption made by the civilian witnesses that this was a paramilitary-related incident.”

Judgment was reserved in the defence applications to have the charges dismissed.

With many thanks to: Belfast Live and Alan Erwin for the original publication. 

Follow these links to find out more on this story: UVF terror chiefs order arms dumps opened in preparation for Boris Protocol failure

East Belfast UVF trio have bail overturned by High Court judge

EXCLUSIVE Top loyalist 'Mackers' fails in bid to gag Sunday Life over UVF leadership claims

Pitt Park accused launch legal bid to have case thrown out

EXCLUSIVE Top loyalist 'Mackers' fails in bid to gag Sunday Life over UVF leadership claims

     EXCLUSIVE SUNDAY LIFE STORY 

Top loyalist Stephen ‘Mackers’ Matthews has lost a last-minute High Court bid to stop Sunday Life naming him as the reported head of the East Belfast UVF.

      Pound Shop lawyer Jamie Bryson              (right), told the Sunday Life that                 'Mackers' (left) planned to issue                injunction proceedings to prevent           him being named in tomorrow's paper           as Head of the East Belfast UVF 

                    June 25th,2022. 

The inside story on how the gang has had more than £1m worth of drugs seized by police in the last year is revealed in tomorrow’s edition.

But when the newspaper contacted Matthews for comment, it was told by Jamie Bryson that Matthews planned to issue injunction proceedings to prevent his name being mentioned in the story.

.   Stephen 'Mackers' Matthews - striped                                    suit 

Sunday Life’s lawyers then received legal papers from Matthews’ solicitors on Friday evening and the case was quickly assigned to a judge.

The injunction hearing went ahead at 10am this morning in front of Mr Justice David Scoffield at the High Court in Belfast.

After hearing two hours of detailed submissions by barristers for Sunday Life and Matthews, he threw out the application.

Counsel for Matthews then asked for an anonymity order to be granted, which would have prevented Sunday Life reporting the fact that Matthews had tried to gag the newspaper.

However, after objections from Sunday Life’s barrister, Gerald Simpson QC, Mr Justice Scoffield also refused that application.

Commenting on the High Court victory, Martin Breen, deputy editor-in-chief of the Belfast Telegraph and Sunday Life, said: “Sunday Life has a long and proud history of publishing important stories.

“We were not prepared to drop the story due to threats of High Court action. We are very happy that Mr Justice Scoffield has recognised the importance of freedom of expression in our society and that we are now free to publish this story.”

Edward McCann, deputy publisher at Sunday Life’s parent company, Mediahuis, said: “This verdict was an important win for press freedom, with the court re-emphasising that, in general, editors, rather than judges, are best placed to decide what is published in newspapers.

“Mediahuis believes in public interest journalism. In what was a very considered judgment delivered at short notice, Mr Justice Scoffield acknowledged the public interest in the story.

“I would like to thank our solicitor, Fergal McGoldrick, and barrister, Gerald Simpson QC, for their hard work — and the Sunday Life team too.”

With many thanks to the: Sunday Life and EXCLUSIVE Christopher Woodhouse for the original publication. 

Follow these links to find out more on this story: Suspected 'UVF dissident' Jamie Bryson warns republican dissidents over threats to loyalists

Pound Shop lawyer Jamie Bryson Loses Another Appeal Over Belfast Bonfire Legal Challenge Ruling

BRYSON'S COHORT AND PARTNER IN CRIME TOLD 'HIT THE ROAD DEE'!

EXCLUSIVE Top loyalist 'Mackers' fails in bid to gag Sunday Life over UVF leadership claims

Rapist's car torched as UVF moves on Dee's (pal) cohort.

The UVF torched a number of cars this week in a deadly warning to ex-squaddie and convicted rapist Gerry 'Vermin' Verner we can reveal. Thugs set alight a Ford Kuga, according to police, but the flames spread to two other vehicles parked outside a block of flats in Inveraray Avenue in the early hours of Tuesday morning where the 43-year-old had been living under the protection of the UVF.

It's also the same block of flats where convicted drug-dealer and former UVF commander David 'Dee' McConnell lives when he's in Belfast. Our picture shows one of the cars damaged though it's if it was the main target. The other two cars were removed by Wednesday morning but the third remained there for several days after the attack.

Verner has a notorious reputation having assaulted four women including subjecting one to a terrifying ordeal, threatening to cut off her fingers before raping her. 

                      PROTECTION

After serving seven years of a 10-year sentence behind bars, he was released in 2018 but told not to return to north Belfast by the UDA. Fortunately for him, while he was in he palled up with east Belfast ex-UVF boss McConnell - who once faced a rape charge himself until the criminal charges were dropped when his female accuser took her own life. 

The UVF gave Verner protection - much to the disgust of locals in east Belfast - and it's understood a group of local women made it clear to the local UVF (unit) leadership just how disgusted they were. And McConnell helped set Verner up in an apartment - in the same block McConnell lived in himself. 

But when the local newspaper the Sunday World (pictured above) run with the story at the time, Jamie Bryson came out on Twitter to defend 'Vermin Verner' (a copy of the Tweet can be seen below) and protect the reputation of the East Belfast UVF. 

But Verner was returned to prison in 2019 after breaching his licence by hanging out with members of the local unit of the UVF and with the likes of McConnell, who has a conviction for drug dealing. While inside, the UVF turned on Verner and withdrew their support for him, coinciding with McConnell reportedly being stood down from the UVF for allegedly trousering cash. 

Verner was expected to be released recently but he told pals inside he was planning to start a new life in Scotland - once again, and no doubt coincidentally, just like David 'Dee' McConnell has done. 

Locals reported a car burnt-out on Monday night (pictured above) belonging to Verner and it's not clear if he has actually been released from jail or if he's in the country as the charred remains of one high-end vehicle was still sitting melted to its parking space all week. 

Police confirmed to the Sunday World they don't believe the two gun attacks in the same area this week - one of them on the same night as the arson attack - are linked. They said: "Police are appealing for information following the report of a car on fire in the Inveraray Avenue area of east Belfast in the early hours of Tuesday morning (March 1st)." At 2.45am, it was reported to police that a car, a Ford Kuga, parked in the area had been set alight. The fire then spread to two cars parked nearby with a second car also sustaining extensive damage." The fire is being treated as arson at this stage. A man at the scene at the time was described as wearing a gray tracksuit with the hood pulled up over his head. He ran off in the direction of Hollywood Road before getting into another vehicle and making off." 

The move against Verner could signify the end of Dee McConnell's 'welcome' in east Belfast as not only is the attack on Verner being viewed as a warning sign to him for him for inviting Verner into the east in the first place. A judge in 2012 said she was passing an extended sentence on Verner as she believed he was a danger to women. Verner had taken the woman prisioner to his home and sexually attacked her. At one point he promised an interrogation of "10 minutes of honesty" but that for each supposed lie she told, he could cut off the tip of one of her fingers. 

With many thanks to the: Sunday World and Stephen Moore for the EXCLUSIVE original story - steven.moore@sundayworld.com

Follow these links to find out more updates on this story: Belfast Rapist Gerry Verner Back in Jail

Car Arson Was Deliberate Police Say.

UVF Boss and Bryson's Cohort Dee McConnell exiled to Scotland

THE writing's on the wall for ex-UVF boss Dee McConnell as he flees to his secret bolthole in Scotland. The convicted drug-dealer - once accused of raping a woman - has been left in no doubt his days in the notorious east Belfast gang are over.

Graffiti denouncing the commander as a rapist - despite the charges being dropped - have been sprayed across his old Belfast stomping ground. UVF bosses have had enough of his escapades including inviting rapist Gerry 'Vermin' Verner into the east. But the final straw came when he was accused of breaking into the home of a woman four weeks ago and it has emerged she's now made a statement to the cops.

DEPOSED UVF commander Dee McConnell has been targeted in a sinister hate campaign weeks after being accused of breaking into a woman's house.

Graffiti with his name and seemingly some type of target (pictured below) was plastered across a number of walls in east Belfast, suggesting his time as a leading loyalist commander are 'over & out'.

We can reveal McConnell, a one time trusted lieutenant of so-called alleged East Belfast UVF boss Stephen 'Mackers' Matthews, fled to Scotland after he was arrested for allegedly breaking into the home of a terrified woman five weeks ago. Now the convicted drug-dealer may be forced to relocate to his Scottish bolthole permanently after an orchestrated campaign targeting him appears to suggest he's lost the support of the UVF. But we can reveal the 43-year-old convicted loyalist has a ready-made family in Glasgow including a partner and two children. Pictures posted by his partner over the last few years reveal McConnell has a double-life across the Irish Sea and its nowhere near the Protocol Irish-Sea-Border.

                          COCKTAILS

Photographs show McConnell, once charged with raping a woman before the case was dropped, sipping cocktails in Dubai and last year celebrating wildly at a gender reveal party for his soon-to-be-born son. And it's here he fled to after he was in east Belfast after cops received a 999 call from a petrified woman who was alone in her house when he came calling. Now he appears to be under pressure to stay in Scotland after his recent arrest. Graffiti calling McConnell a 'rapist' and a 'scumbag b*****d' (sic) was sprayed on several walls in the UVF's east Belfast heartland.

McConnell was never convicted of rape but had been charged with the offence before the charge was withdrawn after the woman making the claim took her own life almost 10 years ago. It was reported that a number of "big men" were seen carrying out one of the spray-paint attacks at around 8pm. A circle with a line symbol pointing through it is being viewed as meaning McConnell is a target (photograph of grafffi posted below). "McConnell's days appear to be numbered," said a UVF source. "This graffiti went up when it was still early in the evening and there were plenty of people who seen it being done.

"Either they have a massive set of balls or they had permission from the UVF - or more likely it was the UVF who were behind this. 

"The graffiti seems to have some kind of target sign at the end of it looks like a threat being made to him. An attack on a number of cars at an apartment block where McConnell lives when he's not in Scotland is being seen as an attack on him as well as his convicted rapist pal Gerry 'Vermin' Verner, who McConnell had given protection to after Verner was told to leave north Belfast by the UDA. McConnell had reportedly been deposed from the UVF two years ago after the organisation accused him of running unsanctioned drug rackets and pocketing the cash for himself. Despite this he has remained close to the UVF leadership who allowed him to remain a member. As revealed in the Sunday World last month, McConnell was arrested by PSNI officers on Dee Street, yards from the home where a woman claimed he had broken into her house. And we can reveal the woman has since made an official complaint to the PSNI and given statements about finding McConnell inside her house. She claimed through social media after the incident she had found the convicted loyalist drug dealer in her home late at night and she ran past him out of her own house after screaming at him to "f***k off". She posted pictures on social media of a damaged window and something smashed in the kitchen.

She also recorded the moment McConnell was at her front door and he can be heard banging on it for a prolonged period before the terrified woman is heard saying, almost in tears, "He's coming through my window now". At the time voice recordings from the woman were posted on social media, stating she hadn't yet given a place statement, but we understand that has now changed. A source who knows the woman - who it's understood has since fled her home - says she intends to see McConnell in court and is determined he will be punished. And they have revealed the woman is claiming that after refusing to let him in, McConnell entered through a kitchen window and then crept up the stairs before opening her bedroom door. The source says the woman has told friends, having already called the cops, she pushed past him and fled out of her own house. It's understood McConnell had been boozing in the nearby Welders Club before the alleged incident. On Saturday night the police confirmed nobody had been charged with the incident. They reiterated their precious line saying: "A 43-year-old man was arrested in the Dee Street area of east Belfast on suspicion of burglary on Tuesday, February 1st. He has since been released on bail pending further inquiries." The Sunday World understands the UVF carried out their own inquiry into the incident and bosses including Stephen Matthews have become fed up with McConnell's antics. 

McConnell was Matthews 'right-hand-man in the east but McConnell's constant partying and erratic behaviour has seen the UVF hierarchy grow weary of him. Matthews has consistently denied being a member of the UVF and claims he has no involvement in criminality. "McConnell could do no wrong in Macker's eyes but then he brought in Gerry Verner and that did them massive damage," said a source. "Local women were furious a nasty rapist like Verner was given sanctuary on their doorstep and when Verner was returned to jail it was made clear he wouldn't be allowed back.

" This all reflected badly on McConnell and then they discovered he was pocketing money that should have been the UVF's. McConnell is famous for his drug parties. There's never any shortage of cocaine and it seems that it has rotted his brain and he's making bad decisions." In a voice recording shared widely on social media in the aftermath of the break-in, the woman is heard saying:" I've been sitting in silence most days because my mind is so at peace and he's took that away from me now because I'm going, when I see or hear a noise I'm going is that somebody coming round to tell me not to make a statement?" 

She then explains that she called police who took forensic swabs but that she had been too upset to make a statement at that stage." I don't know if he's out or not. I didn't make a statement yet - yet being the most important word - but they've got prints and fibres so I don't know if they'll (PSNI) go ahead and do it themselves. 

" The police wanted me to make a statement on Saturday, but I was too exhausted, my body went into shock." News that she's now supplied a statement of the events of that night will have rocked McConnell. In 2004 Dee McConnell was jailed for six months for possessing, supplying and producing cannabis after more than £20,000 worth of gear was found at a disused bakery shop in east Belfast. The same year a charge of rape was withdrawn at the same court when the alleged victim took her own life. In 2010 Belfast City Council kicked McConnell out of one of its offices he was using in the Inveraray Community Centre at Sydenham after a series of Sunday World exposes nailing him as a UVF gangster and drug dealer. Three years ago McConnell was one of 11 people scooped in raids when he took to Facebook to vent his fury at the senior officer in the Paramilitary Crime Task Force (PCTF). 

With many thanks to the: Sunday World and Stephen Moore for the EXCLUSIVE original story.

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